This application relates to providing unlimited access to media, such as music and ring tones, to a mobile handset over wireless infrastructure, and to managing the unlimited access to media, local storage of accessed media, and local playback of media from the mobile handset.
Mobile communications devices have been adapted to a wide variety of applications, including computing, communication, and entertainment. For example, mobile communications devices permit users to freely initiate and receive voice communications, e.g. through dial-up connections or push-to-talk. Further, mobile communications devices have been developed to provide users with access to data communications through wireless connectivity, such as over Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 or 3G/4G networks. Data communications can provide a user with access to a wide variety of entertainment options, including audio, video, and gaming content.
Services have been developed which permit a user to load media content, e.g. music and videos, onto a mobile communications device for subsequent playback. For instance, media content can be purchased from an on-line source, such as in accordance with a pay-per-song model. Purchased media content can be downloaded to a computing device, such a desktop or a laptop. Further, the content can be transferred off-line to from the computing device to a mobile communications device, e.g. through a sync (or synchronization) procedure. The media content can then be played back on the mobile communications device using a playback application. Once the media content is no longer desired on the mobile communications device, it can be deleted. Accordingly, media device functionality, e.g. an MP3 player, can be incorporated into a mobile communications device.
Internet radio (or web radio or streaming radio) also has been developed to stream music over a network, such as the internet, to receivers that can play the streamed content. Internet radio typically is implemented similar to traditional broadcast radio in that the streamed content cannot be paused or replayed. Further, channels can be programmed to feature a particular style, type, or genre of content, but cannot be programmed by the listener. Additionally, the streamed content is not persistently stored on the receiver, so play back is possible only when a connection to the streaming source is available.